Belt-coupling.



No. 805,358. PATENTBD NOV. 21, 1905. J, M. GREIST.

BELT COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.14, 1905.

[/2 ve/z 2 0 7 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BELT-COUPLING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 21, 1905.

Application filed January 14, 1905. Serial No. 241,142.

To all whmn it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN M. GREIsT, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented or discovered certain new and useful Improvements in Belt-Couplings, of which the follow: ing is a specification,reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to a belt-coupling more especially adapted for use with round leather belts such as are largely used for driving sewing-machines, lathes, and other light machines; and the invention has for its object to provide a coupling device of such a character that ,it may be readily adjusted and a belt be shortenedsimultaneously with such adjustment when it is desired to shorten a belt for the purpose of taking up slack or for giving the belt a proper tension.

To this end the improved coupling comprises two members, both of which preferably consist of internally-threaded sleeves adapted to be screwed onto the ends of a belt and which are either permanently or detachably connected with each other and one at least of which sleeves is partly cut away or recessed between its ends in such a manner as to be adapted to receive a combined wrench and cutter, by which when it is desired to shorten the belt the said sleeve may be screwed or turned inward from one end of the latter, and simultaneously with such screwing or turning movement of the sleeve the surplus material of the belt will be pared away, so as to properly shorten the belt. The recess or opening in the coupling member which receives the combined wrench and cutter intersects the chamber of the sleeve which receives the end of the belt, so that the cutter will enter said chamber to pare off the belt when the sleeve is turned or screwed inward on the latter by the combined wrench and cutter.

As the combined wrench and cutter of the present invention is an instrument which is bined wrench and cutter of the present in- .vention is of such a construction that when the knife or cutter thereof becomes dulled by use it may be readily sharpened, so that it will efficiently perform its proper function.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents one form of the invention applied to the ends of a belt and with the combined cutter and wrench in position to turn one of the coupling-sleeves for the purpose of shortening the belt. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the invention shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 illustrates a somewhat different form of the coupling from that shown in Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is a section of the form of coupling shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 illustrates another form of the invention, and Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the coupling shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a wrench and cutter adapted for use with the forms of couplings shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4; and Fig. 8 is a detail sectional view of the cutter end of this wrench and cutter. Fig. 9 is a perspective View of a wrench and cutter adapted for use with the form of coupling shown in Figs. 5 and 6, and Fig. 10 is a partial sectional view on line 10 10 of Fig. 9 to show the shoulders at the opposite sides of the blade portion of the combined wrench and cutter.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, a denotes a portion of a round leather belt, and b and c the two coupling members, each of which consists of an internally-threaded tubular part adapted to be screwed onto an end of the belt. The member I) is provided with a semispherical hollow portion 6, encircled by the neck portion of the member 0, this construction affording a swivel ball-and-socket connection between the two members of the coupling. A diagonally-disposed opening 6 intersecting the chamber of the tubular coupling member, is made through the member 6 for the reception of the combinedwrench and cutter d, and to insure that this wrench and cutter shall be properly positioned in the member 5, so as rightly to present the cutting blade or edge to the end of the belt to be trimmed off, the said wrench and cutter is provided with a small projection or pin cl, and the member I) is constructed with a small notch b at one edge of the hole b formed for the reception of the wrench and cutter, and when the said pin is properly seated in the said notch the wrench and cutter will be in proper position to pare off the end of the belt. Owing to the swivel connection of the two parts of the coupling, the member I) may be turnedto shorten the belt without requiring the latter to be removed from its operative position on the pulleys or without disconnecting or uncoupling the belt.

The form of the invention shown in Figs. 3 and 4 comprises the internally-screwthreaded sleeves b" and c, the sleeve 6 having through it a diagonally-disposed notched hole 6 intersecting the chamber of the sleeve and adapted to receive the wrench and cutter (1, and in this respect is like the coupling member 1). (Shown in Figs. 1 and 2.) The said sleeve 6 is internally threaded at its opposite ends, so as to be adapted to be screwed onto one end of the belt a, and the member 0 has an internally-threaded socket portion adapted to be screwed onto an end of the belt and has also an externallythreaded portion d, adapted to be screwed into the member 6 to join the two parts of the coupling together.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 5 and 6 the coupling members 6 and c are both internally threaded and are screwed onto the ends of the belt a. The coupling member c is formed as a socket member, while the coupling member I) is provided with a head or projection 6 extending into the socket member, so as to form a swivel connection therewith. Also the coupling member is cut away on one side to form a recess 6 at the edges of which are small notches 5 and 6, the latter being preferably narrower than the former. The recess I) is adapted for the reception of a forked combined wrench and cutter (2, having a prong e adapted to fit overthe outside of the said coupling member 5 and a second prong 6 provided with a cutting or blade portion or knife 0 at the outer end of which is a thin finger 0, adapted to enter the narrow notch 6, and at the inner portion of said cutting or blade portion is a thicker shoulder 6 adapted to fit in the wider notch 5. This relative construction of the coupling member and the wrench and comprising the notches of different widths and the parts of the wrench to fit the same is provided so that the wrench can only be fitted to the coupling in one way and in such a manner that the cutter or knife will come in proper relation to the end of the belt when it is desired to screw the coupling member If farther onto the end of the belt and simultaneously pare off the latter for the purpose of shortening the belt.

In order that the blade or cutting portion (1 of the wrench and cutter (i may be properly disposed relative to the belt, so as to cut properly when inserted in place, as shown in Fig. 1, it is necessary, or at least preferable, to incline the conical clearance-socket d in the end of the wrench and cutter d in such a manner, as shown in Fig. 8, as to leave the wall of said socket on the blade or cutter side parallel, or practically so, to the outer wall of the instrument. In other words, said conical socket is inclined to one side of the body of the instrument instead of being concentric thereto. This construction also facilitates the delivery out of the open end of the socket of the parings cut from the end of the belt when the turning belt-shortening operation takes place.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the invention comprises means independent of a coupling member whereby the surplus material of a belt may be pared off as the said coupling member is screwed farther onto an end of a belt for the purpose of shortening the latter. The cutting edge of the knife or cutter formed on the wrench by which a coupling member may be turned may be readily sharpened when the said edge becomes dulled in use, as will be understood, so that a single wrench and cutter may be used indefinitely with a large number of coupling members constructed for the proper engagement therewith of the wrench and cutter.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A belt-coupling member comprising an internally-threaded sleeve, adapted to be screwed onto an end of a belt, said member being provided, between its ends, with a recess or opening intersecting the belt,receiving chamber of the said sleeve and adapted to receive a combined wrench and cutter by which the'said member may be screwed on an end of a belt and the material of the belt be simultaneously pared away for the purpose of shortening the belt.

2. A belt-coupling consisting of two internally-threaded sleeves adapted to be screwed onto the ends of a belt and having a swiveled connection with each other, one of said sleeves being provided, between its ends,with a recess or opening intersecting the belt-receiving chamber of said sleeve and adapted to receive a combined wrench and cutter by which said sleeve member may be screwed inward on an end of a belt and the material of the belt be simultaneously pared away for the purpose of shortening the belt.

3. A belt-coupling comprising two internally-threaded sleeves adapted to be screwed onto the ends of a belt and of such construction that they may be joined or coupled together, one of said members being provided with a diagonally-disposed hole, intersecting the belt-receiving chamber of the sleeve, for the reception of a combined wrench and cutter by which said sleeve may be turned and the material of the belt be simultaneously pared off to shorten said belt.

I11 testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN MeREIsT.

Witnesses:

HENRY OALVER, O. M. SWEENEY.

ITS 

